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‘You will stay on at the hotel,’ Xavier went on, as if she had any choice ‘The designer will return for a last fitting of the dress, while make-up artists and hairdressers will attend you on the day It will be easier for you to stay here than to go back to the island Don’t look so worried I guarantee I’ll be back for the wedding’

‘It would be a half-hearted affair without you,’ she joked weakly

‘Does nothing get you down, Rosie Clifton?’

Plenty The lack of love in their arrangeot her down She had never expected any, and so she couldn’t ad disappointed in that direction Her concern for a child not yet born got her down even ht was for the best, and was now left with the growing suspicion that she’d only s worse Was this what Doña Anna had intended?

‘If anything gets ain,’ she said in an attempt to convince herself asto do that, she didn’t have a clue

‘This is a difficult situation for both of us,’ Xavier remarked ‘Doña Anna was always tricky to handle, but her

swan song takes so? You can keep it if you want to,’ he offered

‘I definitely don’t want it,’ Rosie confirmed with a wry smile ‘Honestly, it’s absolutely unnecessary’

So like ad away in the back pocket of his jeans as if it were a penny sweet ‘What are you thinking about now?’ he prompted with interest when she frowned and chewed her lip

‘I was thinking back to the orphanage,’ she admitted

‘Look forward instead,’ Xavier advised

Rosie had been rerass with her chin on her knees, drea day The day would be all own There would be crowds of guests and loads of flowers, and a fabulously handso to take her away from the colourless institution

‘I was just drea about happily-ever-after,’ she admitted recklessly ‘I knoon’t coement, but maybe it won’t be all bad?’

‘I hope not,’ he said with feeling ‘And dreams are free, Rosie Clifton, so you can dream all you like’

In less than a week her dream would be dust